Branch connection for water-mains and means for forming same.



Patented Oct. 23, I900. H. H. BURRITT. M BRANCH CONNECTION FOR WATER MAINS AND MEANS FOR FORMING SAME.

(Application filed Mar. 16, 1898.) Wu Model.) 2 Sheets -Sheet l.

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No. 660,526. Patented Oct. 23, I900. H. H. BURBITT. BRANCH CONNECTION FOR WATER MAINS AND MEANS FOR FQRMING SAME.

(Application filed Mar. 16, 1893.) (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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cams PETERS co PHOTO-LIYHO, WASHN UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY H. BURRITT, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

BRANCH CONNECTION FOR WATER-MAINS AND MEANS FOR FORMING SAM E.

SEEGIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Pateiit No. 660,526, dated October 23, 1900.

Application filed March 16, 1898. Serial No. 466,223. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARVEY H. BURRITT, acitizen of the United States, residing at N ewark, county of Essex, and State of New Jerjsey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Branch Connections for Water-Mains and Means for Forming the Same, fully described and represented in the follo wing specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for forming branch connections to water-mains and an improved construction of main and connections by which the necessity of either cutting off the main-pressure or leaving a gate-valve next the main is avoided.

In connection with the invention I have devised also an improved plug for closing a pipe which is especially adapted for use in connection with the other features of my invention, but is also of general application in similar constructions and in itself forms part of my invention.

As a full understanding of my invention can best be given by a detailed description of a construction embodying the invention in the preferred form, all further preliminary description will be omitted and such a description given in connection with the accompanyin g drawings, showing the preferred form of embodiment of my invention and certain modifications thereof, and the features forming my invention specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the preferred construction with the connection in place and the plugging device secured thereto in the operation of plugging. Fig. 2 is a plan showing the completed permanent construction of main and branch. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same, taken centrally through the sectional sleeve and branch connection.

Referring to the drawings, A is the main, with which the branch pipe B is to be connected.

C is a sectional sleeve consisting of two parts shown as secured together by bolts 10, passing through ears 11 on the sleeve; but other means may be used for securing the parts of the sleeve together upon the main,

as well understood in the art. In my preferred construction the sectional sleeve 0 constructed to permit the use of a packing 12, of lead or other suitable material, which is liquid or semiliquid when applied, so as to make an absolutely-tight joint under the heavy pressure of the main. In the construction shown the sectional sleeve is constructed for packing only partially about the main; but it will be understood that the sleeve may be constructed in any other suitable manner for packing.

It will be seen from an examination of the drawings that the interior area of the sleeve 0 is greater than the periphery of the main and that space is provided between the sections for bringing them together upon the packing 12 after the latter has set. Any other arrangement for forming a tight joint may be used; but in applying this sectional sleeve the two parts are first placed upon the main and tightened sufficiently to hold them in position and then lead or similar liquid packing is applied. When this packing has set, the parts of the sleeve are tightened up upon the packing, and thus forced into the latter, so as to form an absolutely-tightjoint.

The sleeve G is provided with a hub on one side, preferably formed integral with one of the sections of the sleeve, as shown. This hub consists of a short straight pipe D, opening directly from the main and through which the main is tapped, and a branch E, opening at an angle to the straight pipe D and forming a connection with the branch pipe B.

The straight pipe D may be constructed in preferred construction the pipe D is provided with an interior annular rib 13 some distance inside the outer end and preferably just at 2 Game the junction of the pipes D and E, as shown,

this rib being preferably provided with an inclined inner surface, so that the opening through the pipe'is slightly larger at the outer edge of the rib than at the inner .edge for a purpose presently to be described. This pipe coacts with a plug of the following construction: A block 15, forming the head of the plug, is provided with a flange 9 and is secured to a stud or rod 16, screw-threaded at its end and passing through an opening in a plate 17, carried by and extending across the interior of a sleeve 18, a nut 1 being screwed upon the end of the stud 16, against the plate 17, so that by rotating the nut the head 15 may be drawn into the sleeve, in which it slides, the head and interior of the sleeve being made angular or otherwise constructed, so as to prevent rotation of the head in the sleeve when the nut is turned. The sleeve 18 is provided with a shoulder 2 at its inner end, which fills the end of the pipe D just outside the rib 13, upon which it rests, leaving space outside the shoulder for calking the pipe with lead about the sleeve 18. Between the inner end of the sleeve 18 and the flange 9 a ring 14, of rubber or similar elastic material, is placed about the head 15, this ring being seated upon the inclined face of the rib 13 when the plug is in place. The outer end of the sleeve 18 is screw-threaded for a purpose presently to be described. It will be seen that in this construction the screwing up of the nut 1 upon the stud 16 draws the stud and head 15 into the sleeve 18 and compresses the rubber ring 14 endwise, so as to expand the latter sidewise and fill up the opening inside the rib 13, forcing the rubber against the inner face of the rib. By the inclined form of this inner face of the rib 13 a resistance against the main-pressu re which tends to force the plug outward is secured.

The branch E may be of any suitable construction for the purpose of receiving a branch pipe and forming a tight joint therewith. As shown, it is enlarged at the outer end, so as to form a shoulder 3, against which the inner end of the pipe B rests, and the branch and branch pipe are preferably provided, respectively, with agroove and rib, as shown, so that the branch pipe is held firmly in position by the packing, as shown in the drawings and as is common in such constructions.

The gate-valve may be of any suitable construction adapted to be secured to the pipe D and to support tapping and plugging devices for tapping and plugging the main. I have shown a common gate-valve F, providedwith flanges at each end for securing it to the pipe D and to'the tapping and plugging devices, the outer end of the gate-valve being of sufficient length to form a chamber G outside the gate-valve, into which the tap is drawn for closing the gate-valve before the tapping-machine is removed. It will be understood that this chamber may be formed by a separate short pipe, if desired.

With the construction thus far described any suitable tapping-machine may be used for tapping the main.

The plugging devices preferably used consist of a small cylinder K, flanged for securing itto the outer end of the gate-valve F and through which extends a sleeve L, packed within the cylinder K, in which sleeve rotates the wrench M. This sleeve L at its inner end upon the main and packed, as previously described, the sections being tightly drawn together by the bolts 10 after the packing has set or packed in any other suitable manner, and the branch pipe B is connected with the branch Eand the joint packed, as shown. The gate-valve F is then secured to the straight pipe D and asuitable tapping-machine mounted on the gate-valve. The gate-valve is then opened and the main tapped. The gate-valve F is then closed and the tapping-machine removed. The sleeve L and wrench M are then secured to the plug by the nut 27, so that the wrench is applied to the nut 1, and the cylinder K, with the sleeve and wrench, is secured to the gate-valve, with the plug in the outer chamber of the latter. The gatevalve is then opened and the plug run in by pushing the sleeve L through the cylinder Kand brought into the position shown in Fig. 1. By turning the wrench M the plug 15 is then drawn outward into the sleeve 18 and the rubber ring 14: compressed against the rib 13, so as to bring these parts into the position shown in Fig. 3 and form a tight joint. The gate-valve F and cylinder K are then removed from the end of the pipe D, and by applying a wrench to the nut 27 the latter and the sleeve L are unscrewed from the plug and the wrench removed. The plug is then packed inside and outside the sleeve 18 by packing 28 of any suitable character, making the complete permanent construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Instead of removing the gate-valve F and cylinder K and then removing the wrench, as previously described, the wrench may be removed by applying a pipe-wrench to the outer end of the sleeve L, and thus unscrewing thenut 27 from the plug, the nut 27 being in this case secured to the sleeve by a lefthand thread or permanently, if desired. Moreover, as-it is only necessary that the sleeve should be secured to the plug sufliciently to hold the latter while it is run in by the sleeve and prevent its turning with the wrench the nut 27 need not be screwed into some a wrench out of the plug.

It will be seen that my invention provides a very simple and efficient means for forming permanent branch connections to watermains under pressure without leaving a gatevalve next the main, and it will be found that this construction is very efficient in practice. It will be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the exact construction of the devices shown, but that it includes various modifications which may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from myinvention.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with main A and sectional sleeve 0 having a hub consisting of straight pipe D having interior annular rib 13, and branch E, of a plug having sleeve 18, head 15 mounted to slide within said sleeve and adjustably secured therein by screwthreaded stud 16, elastic ring 14 held between said head and sleeve and seated upon the rib 13, and nut 1 on said stud 16, substantially as described.

2. The combination with main A and sectional sleeve C having a hub consisting of straight pipe D having interior annular rib 13 having an inclined inner face, whereby the pipe-opening is contracted outwardly,

and branch E, of a plug having sleeve 18,-

head 15 mounted to slide within said sleeve and adj ustably secured therein by screwthreaded stud 16, elastic ring 14 held between said head and sleeve and seated upon the inclined face of the rib 13, and nut 1 on said stud 16, substantially as described.

3.- The combination with pipe D having interior annular rib 13, of a plug having sleeve 18, head 15 mounted to slide within said sleeve and adj ustably secured therein by screwthreaded stud 16, elastic ring 14 held between said head and sleeve and seated upon the rib 13, and nut l on said stud 16, substantially as described.

4. The combination with pipe D having interior annular rib 13 having an inclined inner face whereby the pipe-opening is contracted outwardly, of a plug having sleeve 18, head 15 mounted to slide within said sleeve and adjustably secured therein by screw-threaded stud 16, elastic ring 14 held between said head and sleeve and seated upon the inclined face of the rib 13, and nut 1 on said stud 16, sub stantially as described.

5. The combination with pipe D having interior annular rib 13, of a plug having sleeve 18 having cross-plate 17, head 15 mounted to slide in sleeve 18 and having flange 9, screwthreaded stud 16 carried by said head and passing through plate 17, nut 1 on said stud outside said plate 17, and elastic ring 14 held between flange 9 and the end of sleeve 18 and seated on rib 13, substantially as described.

6. The combination with pipe D having interior annular rib 13 having an inclined inner face whereby the pipe-opening is contracted outwardly, of a plug having sleeve 18 having shoulder 2 resting on rib 13 and cross-plate 17, head 15 mounted to slide in sleeve 18 and having flange 9, screw-threaded stud 16 carried by said head and passing through plate 17, nut 1 on said stud outside said plate 17, and elastic ring 14 held between flange 9 and the end of sleeve 18 and seated on the inclined face of rib 13, substantially as described.

7. The combination with main A, sectional sleeve 0 having a hub consisting of a straight pipe D provided with internal annular rib 13 and branch E, of a plug having sleeve 18 having shoulder 2,head 15 mounted to slide within said sleeve 18 and connected thereto by screwthreaded stud l6, nut l on said screw-threaded stud 16, elastic ring 14 held between said head and sleeve and seated on said rib 13, gatevalve F, and a plugging device secured to said gate-valve consisting of cylinder K, sleeve L packed in said cylinder and removably secured to the plug, and wrench M in said sleeve L engaging the nut 1, substantially as described.

8. The combination with pipe D having internal annular rib 13, of a plug having the sleeve 18, head 15 mounted to slide in said sleeve 18 and held therein by screw-threaded stud 16, nut 1 on said screw-threaded stud 16, elastic ring 14 held between said head and sleeve and seated on the rib 13, sleeve L removably secured to said sleeve 18, and wrench M in said sleeve L, engaging the nut 1, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARVEY H. BURRITT.

Witnesses:

C. J. SAWYER, '1. F. KEHOE. 

